Hands-On Review: the Canon EOS Rebel SL1

Getting Up Close with the Canon EOS Rebel SL1

The main appeal of the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 is its size. At first glance, it looks like any number of long-zoom bridge cameras. In fact it’s smaller, at approximately 4.60 x 3.57 x 2.74” (116.8 x 90.7 x 69.4mm), and lighter, at about 13 oz (370g) without a lens, than many bridge cameras. Granted, the EOS Rebel SL1 doesn’t sport a 30x, 40x or 50x zoom, but in addition to the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 image-stabilized EF-S STM kit lens, the EOS Rebel SL1 accepts almost every Canon EF and EF-S lens made. From a creative standpoint, this means that if you can visualize the picture, you can most likely capture it.

Despite the Rebel SL1’s diminutive size, it fills the hand securely, thanks in part to the “lip” on camera’s grip that protrudes between the user’s middle and index finger, the latter of which conveniently comes to rest directly over the shutter button. Shooters with larger mitts might find the graspable surface area of the EOS Rebel SL1 a bit tight, but my average-sized hands felt quite comfy when using the camera.

Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Continued

There’s also a choice of two grid patterns for those who prefer grids over clear viewing fields. The camera’s AF system is quite responsive in bright light and responds reasonably well when shooting in lower light, even when shooting with slower lenses (f/3.5 and smaller apertures).

The EOS SL1 is available as a body only or with Canon’s latest internal-focusing 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, which in addition to image stabilization, features STM technologies for quieter operation when shooting video.